Interior furnishing systems of the type used to define workspaces and the like within office environments have frequently utilized upright posts which bear on and project upwardly from a support such as a floor, with various structural or accessory members being attached to the post so as to project therefrom and define workspaces and related workspace accessories. Most of these known systems employing such upright posts have, however, possessed structure which has necessarily imposed restrictions with respect to the ability to flexibly mount beams or other components at substantially any desired location relative to the post. More specifically, most of the known post arrangements have utilized a connecting structure which has permitted other components such as beams to be mounted to the post only at predefined discrete angular intervals about the post, such angular intervals frequently being multiples of 15°. Many of the connections have also provided only limited height adjustability along the axial direction of the post, and such height adjustability typically has involved adjustability solely with respect to either discrete heights or discrete height intervals. These known systems thus impose positional restrictions on the manner in which office workspaces and/or accessories can be assembled, positioned and oriented.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved structural post arrangement and cooperating clamp assembly which facilitates positioning of related components, such as beams and the like, by permitting such components to be easily and effectively assembled to the post, while at the same time permitting such assembly to take place in a manner whereby the positioning of the component is substantially unrestricted with respect to either its angular orientation about the post or its height position along the post. Discrete positioning of the component relative to the post, particularly angularly about the post, is thus avoided, thereby providing significantly increased flexibility with respect to positioning and orientating components which connect to the post.
According to the present invention, there is provided a vertically elongate post having a plurality of grooves or flutes formed therein in angularly spaced relationship, and extending axially of the post in generally parallel relationship. A clamping collar is attached to the post in surrounding relationship thereto at substantially any desired axial location therealong. The clamping collar is preferably defined by a pair of generally semi-cylindrical sleeve parts which can be opened or separated to permit their being fit around the post, with the sleeve parts being closed and secured to the post, as by fasteners which connect the two sleeve parts together for gripping engagement with the post. The clamping collar has upper and lower annular clamping rims which concentrically surround the post but are spaced radially therefrom by an intermediate annular groove. A furniture component such as a beam or the like is provided with a relatively movable clamping structure which engages the upper and lower clamping rims. This clamping structure includes a first or top jaw member which is fixed to the furniture component and has a hook configuration which opens downwardly, and is arcuate in plan view, so as to be engagable over the top rim of the clamp collar through a selected arcuate extent. A second or lower jaw member is movable relative to the top jaw member and in similar fashion engages the lower rim of the clamp collar, and is movable toward and fixedly connected relative to the upper jaw member to engage and create a fixed but releasable joinder with the top and bottom rims of the clamp collar. The engagement of the jaws with the upper and lower clamp collar rims, and the annular configuration of these rims, enables the clamping structure on the furniture component to be engaged with the clamp collar at any desired angular orientation around the post. Several such clamping structures, as associated with different furniture components, can be secured to the clamp collar at different angular orientations thereon.
According to the present invention, in a further variation thereof, a clamping arrangement defined by a pair of similar arcuate sectors are positioned adjacent the perimeter of the post and are provided with projections which protrude into a pair of flutes associated with the post so that, when the arcuate sectors are fastened together, such as by a threaded fastener, the pair of projections clampingly grip the post and the sectors extend circumferentially through a selected angular extent which is typically less than 90°. The coupled arcuate sectors define thereon upper and lower rim sectors which are concentric with but spaced radially outwardly from the post by intervening gaps or spaces. The rim sectors also extend through an angular extent around the periphery of the post which is typically less than 90°. A clamping structure associated with an accessory or furniture component is provided with top and bottom jaws which respectively engage over the upper and lower rim sectors, and which can be selectively angularly moved along the rim sectors to position the clamping structure at a desired angular relationship with respect to the post. One of the jaws, typically the lower jaw, is fixedly and clampingly moved toward the upper jaw to effect fixed clamping of the top and bottom jaws to the respective top and bottom rim sectors.
Other objects and purposes of the invention, including structural and functional advantages associated therewith, will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience and reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “rightwardly” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the post or designated parts associated therewith. Such terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.